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tormented 1 of 2

adjective

as in tortured

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tormented

2 of 2

verb

past tense of torment
as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to he was tormented by nightmares about the accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tormented
Verb
The series follows a group of Los Angeles teenagers in the 1980s who are being tormented by a serial killer known as the Trawler. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 Parents of children murdered at Sandy Hook in 2012 were tormented for years by conspiracy theorists who claimed their kids hadn’t really died. — Elle Reeve, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026 About a month after that, the financier, tormented by fears of further investigation, died of apoplexy. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 Leite is one week removed from giving Angel Reese and Howard fits in Atlanta, while Astier has tormented the Fever duo of Clark and Aliyah Boston. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Saeed and Nadia live in an unnamed country tormented by civil war—and meanwhile, there are rumors of mysterious doors, portals that lead to other places. — Chloe Benjamain, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026 Nosferatu In 2024 Depp appeared in Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu as Ellen Hutter, a young woman tormented and nearly possessed by the film’s titular vampire. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 To this day, Mischelle Lawless' family remains tormented by the mystery of her senseless murder. — Peter Henderson, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 Randy Arozarena already had tormented the Cubs twice in the game before stepping into the box in the ninth. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormented
  1. tortured
  2. plagued
  3. frustrated
  4. persecuted
  5. harassed
  6. afflicted
  7. harried
  8. besieged
Adjective
  • But this leads to secrets revealed, lies told and tortured confrontations, not just with others but most intensely with himself.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • With local cops, plagued by rumors of departmental misdeeds, looking for a peaceful solution and federal authorities contemplating extreme action, the situation escalates.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
  • That gave North Crowley a 35-28 lead with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter, despite a first half plagued with penalties.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of plagued
Adjective
  • From this perspective, the fertility slump is a record of frustrated longing.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Such moments are the byproduct of a frustrated team and a frustrated fanbase, both trying to help each other and both unable to get out of each other’s way Sunday.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Tates have denied all allegations and have claimed they are being persecuted for their views.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of persecuted
Adjective
  • Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
  • For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Definition of harassed
Verb
  • The afflicted can feel very strongly about them, strongly believe them, even though there is no convincing reason for holding that thought.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • However, the network was afflicted with major issues in its first year, including executive turnover and poor ratings.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of afflicted
Adjective
  • Indeed, the footage of the harried production staff trying to keep the show going on from the office at Bray Studios where the shoot is happening sometimes plays like a vintage workplace comedy but with a dark undertow.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Hawk fire forced the harried evacuation of more than 40,000 people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of harried
Verb
  • In recent months, Israeli settlers have repeatedly besieged the village of Qusra, defying orders from the authorities to leave the area and trying to force Palestinian families, some of whom are also American citizens, out.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.
    — F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of besieged

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Cite this Entry

“Tormented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormented. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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